The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-07-29

promptly - greatly 70 astonish Tad
and then. obedient to gceture from
him of The cane tAn fraudulent Jone'
Vanished with considerable celerit.
round the nearest corner. while tn
small man walked quietly away.
'That's City Detective Bloseom-he'l
bean in our place lots Of tlmes." Tx
heard . telegraph messcnger-boy In
form another. In awe-st<uck tones
and. after admiringly watching thu
small man out Of sight, the two scam
pered ca together.
.'Strikes me that my friend Jonel
won't get hold Of this Same little bag
As easy - he thought for" chuckled
Tad, unconscious that the gentleman
in question. with his hat pulled down
over his forehead like tho villain in Z
play, was watching his movement.
from neighboring doorway.
But whittier should Tad turn his foot,
steps? Uptown or downtown. or
stop minute! The sashel must CON
tain something of more than ordinary
value-a fact which the fraudulent
Jones had in some way discovered, els<
why was he SO anxious to get posses,
sion of it?
''Chaps like him don't take the
chances on an empty bag" soliloquized
Tad, with a wise shake of the head,
land. accordin' to my way Of thinking.
somebody'n be Offering a reward for
this bit of property before long"
Which reasoning resulted in Tad'l
investing half his stock of ready cash
in the purchase of three daily papers.
in whose columns he hoped to find pos
sible mention made of the lost sacheL
The purchase itself decided the direc-
ton of his steps. He knew that along
most city wharves were sheltered and
sunny spots, where he could sit down
and glance over his papers undis-
turbed by ofiicious policemen.
Having been duly directed by a
sharp-voiced newsboy. Tad began max
ing his way wharfward. through mar
row and not particularly inviting
street, known as Lewis Lane. The
theory of cause and effect was visible
on every hand. in the shape Of flourish
ing liquor-shops and miserable tene-
ments. Shabbily-dressed men lounged
on every corner, filling the air with
oaths and tobacco-smOke. while shriil-
voiced women gossiped in the DOOR
ways and swarms of dirty children pad
died in the cutters.
"Come. now-you give us that purp!'
said threatening voice, and Tad
looked suddenly round. Avery ragged
boy, whose hair was cut close to his
bullet head, stood confronting neatly
dressed girl. rather younger than him
self, who, from her appearance, was
evidently . stranger in the neighbour
hood.
''Av " don't hand i'm over, Wen
take i'm away from yez in less'n two
shakes" chimed in a hibernian voice.
whose owner was a red-haired youth Of
fourteen summers or thereabOuts. In
his dirty fingers was a string from
which dangied an empty oyster-can,
destined, as Tad at once saw, as an
attachment to the tail of small and
decidedly dirty dog which the girl was
hugging tightly against her white
apron. very much to its detriment.
The young and unprotected female
compressed her lips, and. looking quite
defiantly at her opponents, deigned no
reply to their amiable intimations. But
Tad thought that she also glanced at
him rather anxiously, as though fearing
he might array himself on the side Of
the foe.
"Sure. I w'udn't be afeared of .
gurrl. Bob." scornfully insinuated the
red-headed, in an undertone, and, thus
stimulated. Bob took step forward.
but Tad was too quick for him.